Method for performing targeted marketing over a large computer network

ABSTRACT

A method for enabling targeted marketing of users on the Internet maintains the privacy of the users. The present invention takes advantage of the unique customer knowledge of an Internet Service Provider (ISP) with respect to both the customers identity and their likes and dislikes, while preserving the privacy of those customers. Data mining is performed on customers, including the sites that they visit. For example, customers with children are identified by visits to the Disney site. The availability of this list is then used to attract businesses with interest in this customer base. An offer, perhaps with enticements such as coupons or contests, is prepared on a Web site. The ISP then makes the customer aware of that offer via an E-mail with short text describing that offer and a Hypertext link to that page. The customer is informed that they may take advantage of the offer and as a convenience and service to the customer and the advertiser, the ISP will provide their identity to the advertiser. Only when the customer selects the embedded URL is their identity disclosed. The ISP will then identify the customer to the advertiser by associating the customer&#39;s temporary IP address with their true identity as a service to the advertiser. Billing will be determined by both the total number of E-mails delivered and the number of responses generated.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to methods for operatingcomputer networks, and more particularly to a method for operating anetwork of computers, such as the Internet, that enables businesses toperform targeted marketing to individuals who access the network.

Targeted marketing of individual users on the Internet is not a newconcept. Many companies attempt to obtain information about users andthe user's E-mail address so that they can identify particular userswith potential interest in their products and services, and then directmarket those particular users with an E-mail campaign at some date inthe future. Unfortunately, even some users who might be interested inreceiving information about a particular company are reluctant toprovide any information to businesses over the Internet because theycannot be sure the information will not be accessible to third parties.Problems of fraud have become prevalent where users' identities were"stolen" by unscrupulous Internet users. Consequently, many users arereluctant to provide information about themselves to anyone over theInternet.

The present invention is therefore directed to the problem of developinga method for operating a computer network that enables merchandise andservice providers to market their products to network users withoutinvading the privacy of the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention solves this problem by creating a customer listthat includes a plurality of network users having a common interest,sending an E-mail to the plurality of network users describing anadvertisement by a particular advertiser, wherein the E-mail includes ahypertext link with an embedded URL to a web site of the particularadvertiser, and then disclosing, only when a particular network userselects the embedded URL, the network user's identity to the particularadvertiser by associating a temporary IP address for the particularnetwork user with an actual identity of the particular network user. Inthis case, the particular advertiser is only billed based on a totalnumber of E-mails delivered and a total number of responses generated.

To obtain the customer list, the present invention performs data miningon another plurality of network users, including obtaining informationregarding which sites said another plurality of network users visit toobtain the customer list.

According to an advantageous implementation of the method of the presentinvention, a message delivery time stamp is captured for each messagedelivered to each of the plurality of network users.

According to another advantageous implementation of the method of thepresent invention, a user is identified with a temporary IP addressthrough an Active User Registry (AUR).

According to yet another advantageous implementation of the method ofthe present invention, a report is generated and sent to the particularadvertiser on an agreed time interval for a contracted duration on thoseusers who have accessed the web site along with all requestedinformation relating to E-mail messages delivered and a number ofresponses generated.

According to another advantageous implementation of the method of thepresent invention, a consent agreement to allow the user's identity tobe passed to the particular advertiser is embedded in the E-mail messagewhen it is delivered.

According to the present invention, an apparatus for performing targetedmarketing over a computer network, includes a server coupled to thecomputer network, a mail server, and a billing processor. The servercreates a customer list that includes a plurality of network usershaving a common interest. The mail server is coupled to the server andsends an E-mail to the plurality of network users describing anadvertisement by a particular advertiser, wherein the E-mail includes ahypertext link with an embedded URL to a web site of the particularadvertiser. The server discloses, only when a particular network userselects the embedded URL, the network user's identity to the particularadvertiser by associating a temporary IP address for the particularnetwork user with an actual identity of the particular network user. Thebilling processor prepares a bill for the particular advertiser based ona total number of E-mails delivered and a total number of responsesgenerated.

Another embodiment of an apparatus for performing targeted marketingover a computer network, includes a server, a mail server, means fordisclosing, means for transmitting, means for preparing and transmittinga bill, means for performing data mining, and means for certifying. Theserver is coupled to the computer network, and includes means forcreating a customer list that includes a plurality of network usershaving a common interest, report generating means, storage, a web sitefor a particular advertiser tailored to the common interest of theplurality of network users, and means for identifying a user with atemporary IP address through an Active User Registry (AUR). The mailserver is coupled to the server and sends an E-mail to the plurality ofnetwork users describing an advertisement by a particular advertiser,wherein the E-mail includes a hypertext link with an embedded URL to theweb site of the particular advertiser. The mail server includes meansfor associating a table with each message to capture a message deliverytime stamp, and means for embedding a consent agreement to allow theuser's identity to be passed to the particular advertiser in the E-mailmessage when it is delivered. The means for disclosing, only discloses aparticular network user's identity to the particular advertiser when theparticular network user selects the embedded URL. To do so, the meansfor disclosing associates a temporary IP address for the particularnetwork user with an actual identity of the particular network user. Thereport generating means generates a report of all those users whorespond to the E-mail. The means for transmitting transmits the reportelectronically to the particular advertiser on an agreed time intervalfor a contracted duration on those users who have accessed the web sitealong with all requested information relating to E-mail messagesdelivered and a number of responses generated. The storage stores allinformation received from those users who access the web site. The meansfor preparing and transmitting a bill prepares and transmits the billfor the particular advertiser based on a total number of E-mailsdelivered and a total number of responses generated. The means forperforming data mining does so on another plurality of network users,including obtaining information regarding which sites said anotherplurality of network users visit to obtain the customer list . The meansfor certifying certifies delivery of the E-mail across all carriers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The sole FIGURE depicts an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention takes advantage of the unique customer knowledgeof an Internet Service Provider (ISP) with respect to both the customersidentity and their likes and dislikes, while preserving the privacy ofthose customers. Data mining is performed on customers, including thesites that they visit. For example, customers with children areidentified by visits to the Disney site. The availability of thecustomer list is then used to attract businesses with interest in thiscustomer base.

An offer, perhaps with enticements such as coupons or contests, isprepared on a Web site by the particular business with interest in thesecustomers. The ISP then makes the customer aware of that offer (orwebsite) via an E-mail with short text describing the offer and aHypertext link to that web page.

The customer is informed that they may take advantage of the offer andas a convenience and service to the customer and the advertiser, the ISPwill provide their identity to the advertiser. Only when the customerselects the embedded URL is their identity disclosed to the advertiser.Because the ISP has direct links to the customer and the advertiser, theISP can provide this information to the advertiser without making itavailable to the public at large. In addition, the ISP can certify tothe users that the advertisers are legitimate. This can involverequiring the advertiser to agree not to resell the customer database.

The ISP will then identify the customer to the advertiser by associatingthe customer's temporary IP address with their true identity as aservice to the advertiser. Billing for this service will be determinedby both the total number of E-mails delivered and the number ofresponses generated.

To accomplish the above functions, the Web Site must include at leastthe following capabilities for each message:

(1) A table associated with each message to capture the message deliverytime stamp.

(2) The ability to identify a user with a temporary IP address throughan Active User Registry (AUR).

(3) A report generating tool to generate a report of all the people whoresponded to the message.

(4) Storage capacity for the material during the advertising campaign.

The simplified call/message flow occurs as follows:

1. The ISP mails an E-mail message to the customers in the customermailing list generated from the data mining along with a hyper-link tothe Web site for access the Web site and viewing the contents.

2. A table entry is made of all the recipients of the message on the Webserver.

3. When the receiver logs on his/her mail server, only the briefdescription along with the hyper-link information in the content isdelivered.

4. If recipient decides to access the site, then the site will haveavailable to the advertiser the AUR mapping of the temporary IP addressto the actual customer.

5. A report is then generated and sent to the advertiser at an agreedtime interval for the contracted duration listing the people who haveaccessed the Web site along with all the requested information relatingto customer messages delivered and number of hits.

This service will be for the sending party and the sending party willpay for delivery of the message delivery. However, the receiving partywill maintain control of who gets the information. To avoid the privacyissue the recipient's information will be disclosed by having consentfrom the recipient. The consent agreement will be embedded in themessage when it is delivered.

In key differences relative to the current practice of targetedadvertising include the introduction of a new paradigm--recipientsaccess the Web site at their convenience, however they are notifiedabout the availability of the information in a timely manner. Inaddition, the recipient of the offer makes a conscious and informeddecision to provide his/her identity in exchange for advertisers offer.Moreover, the ISP guarantees the validity of the recipients information(i.e., the recipient cannot enter a bogus identity). Also, the presentinvention introduces hyper-links in the message content to link withactual Web-site. The present invention enables multimedia, video, andhigh bandwidth user messaging without bogging down the network by usingasynchronous delivery of the content (i.e., only a small fraction ofconsumers will require the bandwidth). The present invention certifiesdelivery of the messages across all the carriers. The present inventionalso introduces market intelligence delivery to the target directmarketer. The present invention collects the recipients' message contentpickup time, granularity of the content read etc. Collectively, this setof enhancements enables customized targeted direct marketing for asegment of customers, while providing assurances of privacy to thecustomers.

Referring to FIG. 1, a server 3 is shown coupled to the Internet 1,along with a mail server 5, a billing processor 7 and an advertisercomputer 9. Each of these servers and computers can be standardcomputers programmed to interact with the Internet 1 in a known manner.

The server 3 includes storage for storing information regarding users,which information is obtained from the users when they access the website 4. The web site 4 has been tailored to the common interest of theusers identified by the ISP. The mail server 5 transmits the E-mail tothe user 6 over the Internet in a known manner.

The billing processor 7 prepares a bill for the particular advertiserbased on a total number of E-mails delivered and a total number ofresponses generated, and transmits the bill to the particular advertiserover the Internet 1 in an E-mail message or other manner known to thoseof skill in the art.

The server 3 includes software routines for performing the followingtasks:

(1) creating a customer list that includes users having a commoninterest based on identifying those users who access a particular website;

(2) generating a report of all those users who respond to an E-mailmessage regarding an advertiser's offer and web site location; and

(3) identifying a user with a temporary IP address through an ActiveUser Registry (AUR).

The mail server includes software routines for performing the followingtasks:

(1) sending an E-mail to the plurality of network users describing anadvertisement by a particular advertiser, wherein the E-mail includes ahypertext link with an embedded URL to the web site of the particularadvertiser;

(2) associating a table with each E-mail message to capture a messagedelivery time stamp; and

(3) embedding a consent agreement to allow the user's identity to bepassed to the particular advertiser in the E-mail message when it isdelivered;

The server also includes a routine for disclosing, only when aparticular network user selects the embedded URL, the network user'sidentity to the particular advertiser. This routine associates atemporary IP address for the particular network user with an actualidentity of the particular network user.

The server also includes a routine for transmitting the reportelectronically to the particular advertiser on an agreed time intervalfor a contracted duration on those users who have accessed the web sitealong with all requested information relating to E-mail messagesdelivered and a number of responses generated.

In addition, the server includes a routine for preparing andtransmitting a bill for the particular advertiser based on a totalnumber of E-mails delivered and a total number of responses generated.

The server also includes a routine for performing data mining on anotherplurality of network users, including obtaining information regardingwhich sites said another plurality of network users visit to obtain thecustomer list.

Finally, the mail server includes a routine for certifying delivery ofthe E-mail across all carriers.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for performing targeted marketing over acomputer network, comprising the steps of:a) compiling customer listinformation that includes user identity information for a plurality ofnetwork users having a common interest; b) sending an E-mail to theplurality of network users by using said customer list information, theE-mail describing an advertisement by a particular advertiser, whereinthe E-mail includes a hypertext link with an embedded URL to a web siteof the particular advertiser; c) disclosing, only when a particularnetwork user selects the embedded URL, the network user's identity fromsaid customer list information to the particular advertiser byassociating a temporary IP address for the particular network user withan actual identity of the particular network user; and d) billing theparticular advertiser based on a total number of E-mails delivered and atotal number of responses generated.
 2. The method according to claim 1,further comprising the step of performing data mining on anotherplurality of network users, including obtaining information regardingwhich sites said another plurality of network users visit to supplementthe customer list information.
 3. The method according to claim 1,further comprising the step of creating a web site tailored to thecommon interest of the plurality of network users.
 4. The methodaccording to claim 1, further comprising the step of capturing a messagedelivery time stamp for each E-mail message delivered to each of theplurality of network users.
 5. The method according to claim 1, furthercomprising the step of identifying a user with a temporary IP addressthrough an Active User Registry (AUR) and associating said user'sidentity from said customer list information with said temporary IPaddress.
 6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the stepof storing all information received from those users who access the website.
 7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step ofmaking a table entry of all the recipients of the E-mail.
 8. The methodaccording to claim 1, further comprising the step of generating a reportand sending the report to the particular advertiser on an agreed timeinterval for a contracted duration on those users who have accessed theweb site along with all requested information relating to E-mailmessages delivered and a number of responses generated.
 9. The methodaccording to claim 1, further comprising the step of embedding, in theE-mail, a consent agreement to allow the user's identity to be passed tothe particular advertiser.
 10. The method according to claim 1, whereinthe E-mail sent in step b) includes one or more of the following: video,graphics, multimedia, audio, files, and text.
 11. The method accordingto claim 1, further comprising the step of certifying delivery of theE-mail across all carriers.
 12. An apparatus for performing targetedmarketing over a computer network, comprising:a) a server coupled to thecomputer network, said server compiling customer list information thatincludes user identification information for a plurality of networkusers having a common interest; b) a mail server coupled to the serversending an E-mail to the plurality of network users by using thecompiled customer list information, the E-mail describing anadvertisement by a particular advertiser, wherein the E-mail includes ahypertext link with an embedded URL to a web site of the particularadvertiser, wherein the server discloses, only when a particular networkuser selects the embedded URL, the network user's identity from thecustomer list information to the particular advertiser by associating atemporary IP address for the particular network user with an actualidentity of the particular network user; and c) a billing processorpreparing a bill for the particular advertiser based on a total numberof E-mails delivered and a total number of responses generated.
 13. Theapparatus according to claim 12, wherein the server performs data miningon another plurality of network users, including obtaining informationregarding which sites said another plurality of network users visit toobtain the customer list.
 14. The apparatus according to claim 12,further comprising a web site on the server tailored to the commoninterest of the plurality of network users.
 15. The apparatus accordingto claim 12, further comprising wherein the mail server captures amessage delivery time stamp for each E-mail delivered to each of theplurality of network users.
 16. The apparatus according to claim 12,further comprising wherein the server identifies a user with a temporaryIP address through an Active User Registry (AUR).
 17. The apparatusaccording to claim 12, wherein the server includes storage for allinformation received from those users who access the web site.
 18. Theapparatus according to claim 12, wherein the server generates a reportand sends the report electronically to the particular advertiser on anagreed time interval for a contracted duration on those users who haveaccessed the web site along with all requested information relating toE-mail messages delivered and a number of responses generated.
 19. Theapparatus according to claim 12, wherein the mail server embeds, withthe E-mail, a consent agreement to allow the user's identity to bepassed to the particular advertiser.
 20. The apparatus according toclaim 12, wherein the mail server certifies delivery of the E-mailacross all carriers.
 21. A device for performing targeted marketing overa computer network, comprising:a) a server coupled to the computernetwork, said server including:(i) means for compiling customer listinformation that includes a plurality of network users having a commoninterest; (ii) means for generating a report; (iii) storage; (iv) a website for a particular advertiser tailored to the common interest of theplurality of network users; and (v) means for identifying a user with atemporary IP address through an Active User Registry (AUR); b) a mailserver coupled to the server and sending an E-mail to the plurality ofnetwork users describing an advertisement by a particular advertiser,wherein the E-mail includes a hypertext link with an embedded URL tosaid web site of the particular advertiser, said mail serverincluding:(i) means for associating a table with each E-mail to capturea message delivery time stamp; and (ii) means for embedding, in theE-mail, a consent agreement to allow the user's identity to be passed tothe particular advertiser; c) means for disclosing, only when aparticular network user selects the embedded URL, the network user'sidentity to the particular advertiser, said means for disclosingassociating a temporary IP address for the particular network user withan actual identity of the particular network user, wherein the reportgenerating means generates a report of all those users who respond tothe E-mail; and d) means for transmitting said report electronically tothe perpendicular advertiser on an agreed time interval for a contractedduration on those users who have accessed the web site along with allrequested information relating to E-mails delivered and a number ofresponses generated, wherein the storage stores all information receivedfrom those users who access the web site; e) means for preparing andtransmitting a bill for the particular advertiser based on a totalnumber of E-mails delivered and a total number of responses generated;f) means for performing data mining on another plurality of networkusers, including obtaining information regarding which sites saidanother plurality of network users visit to obtain the customer list;and g) means for certifying deliver of the E-mail across all carriers.22. A method for performing targeted marketing over a computer network,comprising:compiling customer interest information regarding a pluralityof network users and identifying an interest common to a subgroup ofsaid plurality of network users; sending an E-mail to the network usersof said subgroup, said E-mail including a description of anadvertisement by a first advertiser interested in targeting saididentified common interest, said E-mail further including an embeddedURL to said advertisement; detecting when a response to said E-mail byone of the network users in said subgroup indicates consent to identifysaid one of said network users to said first advertiser; and billingsaid first advertiser, wherein a billing amount is determined inaccordance with a number of E-mail's delivered on behalf of said firstadvertiser and a number of responses to said delivered E-mails.
 23. Themethod of claim 22 further comprising:sending a second E-mail to thenetwork users of said subgroup, said second E-mail including adescription of a second advertisement from a second advertiserinterested in targeting said identified common interest, said secondE-mail further including an embedded URL to said second advertisement.24. The method of claim 22 further comprising:identifying a secondinterest common to a second subgroup of said plurality of network users;sending a second E-mail to the network users of said second subgroup,said second E-mail including a description of a second advertisementfrom a second advertiser interested in targeting said identified secondinterest, said second E-mail including an embedded URL to said secondadvertisement.